15 Essential iPhone Camera Apps for Taking Your Photos to the Next Level

Apple's iPhone has one of the most capable cameras in its class, yet avid photographers complain of its bare-bones interface with limited controls. We've rounded up several powerful third-party iPhone camera apps that'll give users more control over your device's snapper.

The ProCam 5 app is arguably the best third-party camera app for iOS. It gives users a full set of manual controls and the option to change the aspect ratio of the photos, as well as the ability to easily adjust the video-recording resolution (by default, it's quite a process on the iPhone). Several in-app purchases can add even more features, including the ability to upscale 4K video on iPhones that are older than the iPhone 6s. ProCam 5 has a companion app for the Apple Watch, too.

VSCO is a highly rated iPhone camera app with a cool minimalist interface and a social twist. In addition to giving users extensive manual controls, the app allows them to also explore and find curated photographic content from a vibrant international community. More VSCO features are available via an in-app purchase. The app is one of the best all-in-one solutions for shooting, editing, and sharing photos.

Filmborn is an excellent camera app that replicates old school film. It’s a simple but powerful tool that sports a clean and easy-to-use interface. We found that it does an incredible job at emulating film, and our images came out looking amazing. It’s definitely worth checking out, and it'll certainly up your Instagram game.

Designed for photographers with a keen eye for detail, Halide is a camera app that you should definitely consider having in your arsenal. Halide is a powerful tool that gives you full manual control of ISO, exposure, and white balance. Whether you're a pro shooting in manual or a new photographer who uses automatic mode, this app's intuitive and easy-to-use gesture-based interface lets you take stunning images from your iPhone.

This camera app is a must for the Instagram obsessed. It gives an extra dose of twinkle-factor to anything that emits light or is reflective around you. It'll make Ferris wheels, nail polish, dresses, and jewelry completely pop. It's equipped with several different filters to make your photos and videos sparkle and shine. Best of all, it's just a buck! ✨

MuseCam is a manual camera and image editor for your iPhone. It lets you set custom exposure and control your iPhone camera's shutter, ISO, white balance, and focus. The app packs several film-inspired filters, lets you adjust curves, and even create your own filters. There are tools to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of your images. You can crop and rotate your pictures, too. This app is a powerful tool that'll make your Instagram posts top-notch.

This powerful camera app lets you take full control over your images. You can quickly and easily adjust the shutter, ISO, white balance, focus, and exposure. It captures images in RAW and lets you switch lenses easily if you have an iPhone 7 Plus. If you struggle with framing your images, you'll be pleased to learn this app has grid overlays for the rule of thirds and a square, so you can get the perfect shot every time.

Although this camera was designed for Moment lenses and the Moment case, these iPhone accessories aren't necessary to take advantage of the full set of tools the app provides. Moment has manual controls, lets you capture RAW photos, and adjust focus and light using gestures. Our favorite feature though is its 3D shutter that makes use of your iPhone's 3D touch capabilities. The setting mimics a DSLR camera. Just half-press to focus and full-press to capture. It's as simple as that!

While most camera apps are designed for the rear-facing camera on your iPhone, this one takes a different approach — it's instead geared toward selfies. The app is filled with plenty of filters and an "auto-beautify" mode that lets you get the best-looking selfie right when you snap the picture. It has a useful feature that lets you take a photo with just the wave of your hand — without the need to set and patiently wait for a self-timer.

This iPhone camera app is designed specifically to enable users to capture quality photos even in conditions with less than perfect lighting. In addition to excellent HDR mode for still images and video, Hydra offers a dedicated low-light mode, real-time zoom, and the ability to upscale images up to a whopping 32 MP. An Apple Watch companion app is also on board.

Hipstamatic is one of the oldest third-party iOS photo apps, giving iPhone and iPad users the ability to choose from a plethora of filters in real time, as well as a dedicated Pro mode. The latter gives users the ability to manually adjust key components of their photos, such as ISO, shutter speed, and exposure, among others. The app comes with a solid set of creative filters, though more are available via in-app purchases.

Camera+ is yet another excellent option for the iPhone. It offers a wide array of advanced editing tools, various scene modes, and a host of photographic effects, among other features. The app also features a separate exposure button, which allows shutterbugs to easily manage the light in their photos. It even offers a 6-times magnification digital zoom, which comes in handy at concerts.

The NightCap Camera app for iOS, as its name suggests, is designed for low-light photography. It'll help your iPhone capture clearer photos at night or in dark places with the help of artificial intelligence. The latter tinkers with the ISO and exposure of the shots, ensuring optimal results at all times. The app also has impressive time-lapse and long-exposure modes that produce amazing camera effects.

The ProCamera iPhone app features an elaborate set of manual controls, filters, and live editing effects, covered by a sleek and intuitive interface. Like some of its competitors, the app offers a neat Apple Watch app. This one allows you to adjust exposure, ISO sensitivity, and white balance. Even more features like an advanced HDR mode and lowlight mode are available via in-app purchases.

ProShot is yet another third-party iOS camera app with a lengthy and impressive list of features and manual controls. They include an expansive set of video-capture modes too, giving users the option to capture clips with their iPhone in a DSLR-like fashion. This app lets you shoot in RAW and adjust exposure, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance.

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